A YOUNG father was killed in a double road fatality in Co Limerick early yesterday just hours after celebrating his baby daughter's christening.
John Swords Jnr (22) and his friend Ollie Carney (21), both from the Co Limerick town of Hospital, were killed when their car crashed into a wall.
The collision occurred at 1.45am in the village of Knocklong on the road between Limerick city and Hospital.
Both victims were at a christening party for John's baby daughter Alex when the 22-year-old received a call to say that his home was being burgled.
His friend Ollie Carney offered to drive him home but sadly the childhood friends were both killed when the Honda Civic in which they were travelling struck the church wall in the nearby village of Knocklong.
The tragedy has shocked people in the town of Hospital where the two young men grew up within a hundred yards of one another.
Local councillor Eddie Creighton last night paid tribute to the young men whom he said were extremely popular in the community.
"They were two lovely young people and very, very popular in the locality.
"What I always found about them was they had time to talk to everybody whether they were their own age group or whether they were in the older age group," said Mr Creighton.
"Both their families are very popular here as well and my heart just goes out to them. Two young people just starting off in life and they had just been at a party for John's daughter's christening and everybody was having a good time when he got a phone call that his house was being burgled.
"Ollie offered to drive him because he had no drink taken and John wouldn't have had much himself. Neither of the two guys were into drink at all, they just enjoyed life without having to drink," he added.
Both grieving families were said to be in a state of shock yesterday while prayers were offered for them at Masses across Limerick.
An only child, Ollie Carney is survived by his mother Noreen and his grandmother Ellen Cahill.
His father passed away last year following a long illness.
His funeral Mass will take place at 11.30am tomorrow at St John the Baptist Church in Hospital.
John Swords is survived by his parents John Snr and Eileen, his girlfriend and daughter and one sister.
Both men were pronounced dead at the scene and their bodies were removed to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick where postmortem examinations were due to be carried out yesterday.
No one else was injured in the crash and there were no other vehicles involved.
An area of the village known as Church Cross was closed off for a technical examination overnight.
Gardaí at Bruff are investigating the tragedy.
Anyone with information can contact them at 061-382940.